Mark Coleman vs. Don Frye 1
The fight was in the finals of the UFC 10 tournament. The fight was Don Frye's first loss. The Fight Frye is visibly haggard in his corner before the opening bell. A mouse sits below his right eye, reminding fans that this is his third fight of the night. He has already battled in the Octagon for 15 minutes, stopping Mark Hall in a grueling opening round bout then defeating Brian Johnston in the semifinals. Coleman looks much fresher as he shifts his weight from foot to foot in his corner. No path to the finals is without tribulations, though, and this fighter is fatigued as well. He easily dismantled Moti Horenstein in the first round and dominated Gary Goodridge in the second; but the bout with "Big Daddy" dragged on for seven minutes and dented his energy supply. The match begins and Coleman shoots for a takedown. Frye stops it with a well-timed sprawl and clutches a front headlock. Coleman explodes out of the hold and moves to his opponent's back. And from there, the beating commences. Coleman cuts loose inside Frye's guard, pounding his foe with a series of right hands that would later earn him the nickname, "The Hammer." At 4:15, Coleman applies a side choke, but Frye slips out and the fight returns to the feet. Referee Big John McCarthy goads the tired fighters forward while they slowly stalk each other. Frye throws a right and a left, but Coleman ducks and pins him against the cage with a double leg takedown. The beating resumes. Kick the shit out of him! roars Frye's bitter former trainer, Richard Hamilton, who is Coleman's trainer for this fight. Frye is stuck against the cage and Hamilton and friends are hurling a streak of evil obscenities straight into his ear. He's over the hill! someone says. Beat the hell out of him! Hamilton adds. And Coleman obliges with a knee that snaps Frye's head back violently. More knees follow and the fight is stopped to check Frye's right eye, which is bleeding and closing quickly. You gotta do something son! You understand me? says McCarthy, informing the battered competitor that he can't let the fight continue much longer at this one-sided pace. Dr. Richard Istrico asks Frye if he wants to continue as he dabs the blood away from the fighter's face. I'm fine, Frye responds. And the beating continues. Seven minutes into the fight Frye wraps his arms around Coleman's legs and struggles for a takedown. He's just not big enough, says Blatnick, skeptical that Frye can complete the double leg. He can't. Coleman pounds the side of his adversary's head, stops the takedown and moves to Frye's back, where more punishment is delivered. Frye escapes a choke attempt at 9:30 and briefly takes the top position on the ground. He is unable to mount any offense before Coleman stands, scoops him into the air and nearly tosses him out of the Octagon. Instead of slamming Frye, however, Coleman drops him to his feet and drills a timely right hand into his foe's cheek. An uppercut follows, then a right, a left and another right stagger Frye onto one foot. Coleman scores a takedown and the assault continues on the mat. More punches, more knees. Finally, after Coleman smashes a pair of head butts into Frye's bloody eye and swollen cheek, McCarthy stops the fight. That's it, the referee says.